The Portland daily press., 1887-10-15
CANDIDATES AT WEST POINT.
a Place Of Much Discipline and Very
Little Poetry.
New York Times.1

new 10Th ilHlcs.l
There is much that Is amusing IN the way
a candidate at West Point is initiated into
the mysteries Of cadet manners, ways and
lfe-amusing to the intiatOrs, cadets ma
tured by a years experience at the Point
and who now repeat the practices put upon
them at their entrance, with such additions
as their ingenuity suggests; and amusing
also to the subject initiated. the victim OF
cadet pranks II he sensibly looks upon them
as pranks, and not as malicious affr0nts d.
reeted personally at him. Many an aspiring
Major-General in embryo approaches the
scene Of his prospective naturalization with
feeling at heart akin TO fear, or with that In
describable sensation Of unknown, unseen
danger lowering near. From the day he re-
ceived his notification from the Secretary OF
War TO present himself at West Point for
examination by certain date, "if he still
desires the appointment" he has read all no
could find relative 10 the Academy and eager
ly imbibed all that more experienced per-
sons have narrated for his benefit And the
first and leading feature Of these recitals, to
his mind, is severity TO candidates. The
pride Of his native village, he walked boldly
up It's one street, head In air, self-possessed
tary swing to his gait. while groups Of admir-
| ing but less fortunate villagers point TO him
and whisper, "He is gon' to West Point in
| June" He receives their homage as his just
due. while perchance his inner self rebukes
him and his near future appears before his
minds eye. For now he will be dragged
from his high estate, shOrn OF his newly ac-
quiTed dignity. made to grovel in the dust
with depressed toes, with arms mOtiOnless
by his sides and the palms of his hands
spread broadly TO the front, to march 10 and
fro In squad drill, at the mercy Of certain
cadet drill masters, whom his Imagination
pictures as hends In human form. But his
govd-byes finally said, with trunk well
packed by loving hands with all the articles
love and care can suggest. and which, being
uniform, will never emerge from the
gloom Of the cadet trunk room. he has left
his home, he has arrived at the Point and
reported his presence 10 the courteous on
cals at the Administration Building. Thence
he Is escorted to cadet barracks in company
with some dozen frll0w-eandidates and
turned over TO the somewhat callOGsed mer-
cies OF the cadets appointed 10 charge Of eau
didates Following their guide. an orderly,
the little band crosses the area Of cadet bar
racks and shouts from Observant cadets Of
eli new lot Of beasts, fellOwsl come aad
see 'em," and arrives at the door Of one Of
the barrack divisions; and there they halt,
looking anxiously to their guide for further
Instructions.
There's your place" he says, oratorically,
with sweeping wave Of his hand toward
the wide open door. "All you have to do Is
to go in that first room, one at a time, and
report" After delivering himself Of this iu-
formation he departs.
All is quiet in that first rOom-the office"
as 1t Is termed by the cadets. You would not
| suspect that it contains a living being, but II
| does, several of them-yOung lively, agra
| waiting yearling cadets, who are waiting
| quietly though impatiently for the first can
/ data 70 fhat fLa..
| ceive him In royal style, one betting his
| rank and station. Well nothing Is gained
| by prOcrastinatiOn; so evidently thinks one
| young fellow as he leaves the little group,
and. advancing to the door. opens it and
| enters the office. Where now is that silence
| that erstwhile relgned supremeP The chO-
ruSed OutburSt OF shouts aud yells that greets
his ears can be likened 10 nothing so much
as the growing and barking Of a pack OF
bulldogs let lose upon their prey. So rush
the yearlings wildly forward, as though to
extermlnate the rash newcomer. No articu-
late sound can be distinguished, as the cadets
crowd around him, pouring forth such a vol
ume Of sound from their brazen throats as
he has never heard before. Confusion
reigns supreme, and then ceases as suddenly
as II commenced, while one. distinguished
by gilt stripes upon his arms, advances and
hercely inquiries
"What do you mean by entering without
knocking9 Stepout there, Sir, and try 1t
| again"
Amazed, dumfounded. the candidate meek
i ly Obeys. Where now the air of assurance
/ with which he was wont TO declare that "he
/ wouldn't stand any Of their nonsense. They
would treat him as gentleman or they
woule rue it?' II is gone II always goes
There has yet to come to the Academy the
first candidate who will stand upon his
| MUSCLE, as he has avOwed he would. Our
particular applicant for martial honor meek
| ly knocks at the door and as meekly Obeys
the spirited shout 10 come inY' His en-
trance Is followed by his inspection. BY
some lucky inspiration he has left his grip in
the hall, buttoned his coat up TO his chin,
aud carried his hat In his hand. The princi-
| pal requirements are fulfilled.
What do you want?" is the next query
| pr0pOunded TO him
II came In to report" he timidly admits.
why don't you report then? What are
| you standing there like pump on a log for?
What's your name?"
John Smith, Sir"
did you bring Pocahontas with youI"
This sally prOvokes a roar Of approving
laughter from the listening yearlings. and
John Smith thinks to prUpitiate them by
Joining family In the merriment. That Is
the opportunity the We Rings have been
waiting for. Drop that smile, sirl Wipe
ton Don't you dare to presume to grin:
III had such teeth as you I'D keep my
mouth shut to all eternity! There's nothing
here for you to laugh at No, Sir; this Is
pretty serious business for youi' 50 John
Smith thinks, and he becomes discreetly Sc
date.
where are you frOmY
New Jersey, sill" replies John, scarcely
"Ohl that accounts for it, We oughtn't
expect any more from you. You neen't un
pack your trunk, for your stay will be short.
There never was but one New Jersey man
passed the prelim, and he was found the
next January. That's enough for yon.
Git!' and John Smith "gits" accompanied
by one Of his inquisitOrs, who escorts him
up two flights Of iron stairs 10 a room where
ha
time being
Such rooml He had heard that cadets
were allowed no carpets, no upholstered fur
niture; but such miracle In the way Of
Spartan simplicity Of furnishing had never
been his lot. Four whtewashed walls,
ceiling ditto, and bare floor. Opposite the
door the steam heate. and black, gaping
fireplace; behind the door q large wooden
box with the side knocked OF and lifted with
four shelves-called by courtesy and custom
CLOTHES press" a plain cherry table,
backed squarely against the wall; above 1t
solitary gas jet pr0truding from the white
washed waste; one window giving an excep-
uonally line view OF Professors Kitchen
garden at the far end, a partition rising
nearly to the ceiling, dividing that portion
OF the room into two alcOves, each contain
ing narrow iron bedstead a garnishing Of
hooks on each side OF the Partition wherein
the cadet occupants were wont to hang their
articles Of clothing and equipment, oYercoat,
dress coat, pantalOOns, clOthesbag, In regu-
lar order from front to back. Lost in CON-
temptation Of his new surroundings our can
didate Is awakened from his reyerie by
prolonged roar on the lower floor. Rushing
to the door he listens to the refrain floating
up the stairway.
Candidates., turn out promptly
Rightly cOnstl uing this as direct invita-
ton To appear, he descends to find some 20
fellow candidates being formed In line, pa
tlenee-trying task to the cadets In charge.
The candidates at last stand In long, irreg-
ular line, which strings its doleful length
out In serpentine curves a. IL marches 10 the
nelghbOring stOrehouse, where the usual ar
tieles Of room furniture are issued, and
which the candidates bear TO their rooms.
Each one receives a chair, mattress. a pill
low, a quilt, washstand. washbOwl, and
two galvanized iron buckets. With thsfe
possessions he Is ready 70 keep house" in
the limited cadet manner.
The work Of receiving the candidates goes
ioyOusly on for two or three DAYS, when all
nominated for that year have presented
themselves There are some hundred OF
these youths, presenting every type Of Amer
lean from Maine TO Texas from Florida To-
Oregon. The well-bred, whlte-handed, neat
ly-clOthed boy from the city stands side by
side with the youth whose hOmespuu cloth
ing and large awkward joints proclaim the